St. Louis City II vs Portland Timbers II Prediction: Key Stats and Betting Tips

St. Louis City II welcome Portland Timbers II to CITYPARK on 18 July 2026 in an MLS Next Pro Group Stage clash that could have major implications across both the Frontier Division and Pacific Division races. With just five points separating the sides in their respective divisional tables, this is a key checkpoint in the playoff push.

St. Louis City II sit 4th in the Frontier Division on 29 points after 18 matches, with a goal difference of -1. They have been streaky this year, winning 10 and losing 8 with no draws, and their recent downturn means they are trying to stabilise their campaign at home, where they have generally been strong. Portland Timbers II, meanwhile, top the Pacific Division with 34 points from 18 games and a positive goal difference of +1, underlining their consistency and defensive edge.

The playoff picture in the Eastern Conference context is also tight: St. Louis City II are 7th in that combined table, while Portland Timbers II are 3rd, both currently tracking towards the MLS Next Pro Play Offs (1/8-finals). With historical high-scoring meetings between these sides, this fixture profiles as one of the standout MLS Next Pro predictions and betting angles of the weekend.

St. Louis City II vs Portland Timbers II Key Stats

• St. Louis City II have taken 29 points from 18 matches (10 wins, 8 losses, 0 draws), scoring 29 and conceding 30 in the league standings.
• Across the last five head-to-head meetings, every match has produced at least three goals in regular time, including 6-3 and 5-3 scorelines.
• Season statistics show Portland Timbers II with 9 clean sheets from 18 fixtures, compared to 4 for St. Louis City II, highlighting a clear defensive advantage for the visitors.

St. Louis City II vs Portland Timbers II — Tale of the Tape

• Position: 4 vs 1 (divisional ranks: St. Louis City II 4th in Frontier Division, Portland Timbers II 1st in Pacific Division)
• Points: 29 vs 34
• Goals For: 29 vs 23 (overall standings “all” totals)
• Goals Against: 30 vs 22
• Clean Sheets: St. Louis City II 4, Portland Timbers II 9 (season statistics)

In the standings, Portland Timbers II have the edge in both points and defensive solidity. They have 11 wins from 18 with only 25 goals conceded across the season statistics, and just 9 goals allowed in 9 away fixtures. St. Louis City II, by contrast, have a more open profile: 29 goals scored and 30 conceded in the league table, and 32 scored/32 conceded across their wider season stats, pointing to volatility at both ends.

Home and away splits are crucial here. St. Louis City II have won 6 of 8 at CITYPARK in the standings, scoring 16 and conceding 11, while Portland Timbers II have been excellent travellers with 7 wins from 9 away matches, scoring 11 and conceding only 9. The visitors’ combination of a strong away record and high clean-sheet count suggests a more controlled, pragmatic approach, whereas St. Louis lean on high-tempo attacking bursts but can be exposed defensively, especially in the 61–75 minute window where a significant share of their goals conceded occur.

St. Louis City II vs Portland Timbers II Key Matchups

St. Louis City II Attack Unit vs Colin Griffith

Player-level attacking data is sparse for St. Louis City II, but their collective output is clear: 32 goals across 18 matches in the wider season stats, with a strong home average of 2.3 goals per game. They tend to score heavily between 46–60 and 76–90 minutes, where their share of goals is notably high.

For Portland Timbers II, Colin Griffith stands out across multiple leaderboards — top scorers, top assists, and top cards — even though his raw numbers are modest so far: 1 appearance, 0 goals, 0 assists, and no cards. His presence in all these lists suggests he is a focal attacking figure within a side that averages 1.4 goals per game overall. Griffith’s role as an attacker, combined with Portland’s strong away record and their ability to score consistently in the 46–75 minute range, makes his duel with the St. Louis defensive unit a key storyline.

Portland Timbers II Defensive Block vs St. Louis City II High-Risk Style

Portland Timbers II’s defence has allowed just 25 goals in 18 matches, with an away average of only 1.0 goal conceded per game and 7 away clean sheets. Their goals-against under/over profile is relatively conservative, with fewer matches going over higher thresholds, reflecting solid game management.

St. Louis City II, however, are involved in more open contests. They concede 1.8 goals per game overall and see a significant share of their goals conceded between 31–45 and 61–75 minutes. The clash between Portland’s structured defensive unit and St. Louis’ high-variance style — which has produced extremes like a 6-3 win and a 5-2 away defeat this season — could decide whether this match tilts towards a cagey tactical battle or another end-to-end shootout.

Head-to-Head: Last Meetings

These sides have produced some of MLS Next Pro’s most entertaining fixtures in recent years, with goals and momentum swings a recurring theme. Penalty shootouts, big home wins, and high-scoring away upsets all feature in the recent history.

• 05 October 2025: Portland Timbers II 2-1 St. Louis City II (MLS Next Pro)
• 24 May 2025: St. Louis City II 6-3 Portland Timbers II (MLS Next Pro)
• 07 April 2024: St. Louis City II 1-1 Portland Timbers II (MLS Next Pro, St. Louis City II won 5-3 on penalties)
• 19 August 2023: St. Louis City II 4-1 Portland Timbers II (MLS Next Pro)
• 26 May 2023: Portland Timbers II 1-2 St. Louis City II (MLS Next Pro)

St. Louis City II vs Portland Timbers II Prediction

Stats suggest a finely balanced contest with a slight edge to the visitors. The prediction model gives Portland Timbers II a 45% chance of victory, with a 45% chance of a draw and only 10% for a St. Louis City II win. That aligns with Portland’s stronger recent form — their last five show 60 out of 100 for form compared to St. Louis’ 20 — and their superior defensive and away metrics.

However, the head-to-head pattern at CITYPARK has been favourable to St. Louis City II, who have recorded 4-1, 3-1, and a penalty shootout win there in the past. Their attacking output at home remains potent, and Portland’s last visit in 2025 ended in a 6-3 defeat. The comparison indices slightly favour Portland overall (total index 52.8 vs 47.2), but the h2h index leans heavily to St. Louis, underlining how tricky this venue can be for the Timbers’ second team.

With no reliable numerical goal prediction available (the goals fields are threshold markers, not scorelines), the safest expectation is a tight, competitive match where Portland’s defensive structure and away form allow them to avoid defeat, but St. Louis’ attacking strength at home still finds a way through.

Predicted Score: St. Louis City II 1-1 Portland Timbers II

St. Louis City II Recent Form

Across their recent run, St. Louis City II have swung from an impressive winning streak earlier in the campaign to a difficult spell now. Their broader season form string includes an eight-game winning surge followed by a four-game losing streak, and the current divisional form snapshot of “LLLLWO” reflects that volatility: a series of defeats before a win and another result that broke the losing run. They remain dangerous going forward but are conceding too often to fully capitalise.

Portland Timbers II Recent Form

Portland Timbers II arrive in significantly better shape. Their recent pattern “WOWLWL” in the standings shows alternating wins and losses but more stability than their hosts, while the extended season form string contains frequent victories and only short losing runs. Over the last five matches, they have 8 goals scored and 7 conceded, with a form index of 60 out of 100, suggesting they are trending positively and capable of grinding out results even when not at their best.

St. Louis City II Possible Starting Lineup

With no confirmed lineups available, a precise XI cannot be named, but key squad options include:

Goalkeepers: P. Francis, B. Lundt, N. Martinez, L. McPartlin, C. Welsh.
Defenders: J. Andrews, E. Chavez, A. De Gannes, F. Fall, K. Hiebert, O. Jorgensen, Z. Lillington, L. MacNaughton, M. Fall, S. Paris, T. Pearce, T. Totland.
Midfielders: O. Chapman, T. Clancy, D. Dowling, A. Gbadehan, C. Gonzalez, C. Hamler, M. Joyner, A. Jundt, E. Löwen, P. McDonald, E. Niles, T. Ostrák, Y. Ota, C. Pearson, M. Perez, J. Wagoner.
Forwards: P. Ault, J. Barclay, E. Carlock, L. Cornelius, C. Forcellini, C. Glover, S. Goldstein, Jeong Sang-Bin, K. Kraus, M. Levkovsky, R. Lynch, S. Marion, Brendan McSorley, C. Nwankwo, B. Wilson.

St. Louis City II have ample depth in attacking and midfield areas, which suits their high-tempo, front-foot style at CITYPARK. The presence of experienced defenders like K. Hiebert and L. MacNaughton alongside creative midfielders such as E. Löwen and T. Ostrák offers a platform to push numbers forward. The tactical challenge will be balancing that aggression with enough defensive protection against a disciplined Portland side that punishes transitions.

Portland Timbers II Possible Starting Lineup

Again, no confirmed XI is available, but the squad list highlights key options:

Goalkeepers: M. Deisenhofer, S. Joseph, M. Nelson, N. Savri, H. Sulte, K. Tamblyn, M. Walter.
Defenders: B. Alex, C. Ferguson, S. Jura, N. Lund, M. Nystrom, Charles Ondo, C. Tommy.
Midfielders: C. Cruthers, V. Enriquez, Lucas Fernandez-Kim, E. Izoita, J. Izoita, M. Kissel, H. Mueller, B. VanVoorhis, N. Zendejas.
Forwards: B. Barjolo, Daniel Xavier Cervantes Michel, Colin Griffith, Andrew Guerra, D. Nunez, N. Santos, D. White.

Portland Timbers II’s squad is balanced, with multiple goalkeepers and a deep defensive pool underpinning their strong clean-sheet record. In attack, options like Colin Griffith, Andrew Guerra and Daniel Xavier Cervantes Michel give them flexibility to play either on the counter or with more sustained pressure. Given their excellent away defensive record, expect a compact structure with quick outlets in wide and central attacking areas.

St. Louis City II Team News

No significant absences reported.

Portland Timbers II Team News

No significant absences reported.

Injuries & Suspensions

St. Louis City II:

• None reported.

Portland Timbers II:

• None reported.

Betting Tips: St. Louis City II vs Portland Timbers II

Exactly 3 distinct betting angles based on the available probabilities and statistics:

• Result Tip: Back Portland Timbers II on the Double Chance (Draw or Away). With a 45% chance assigned to both the away win and the draw, versus just 10% for a home win, and given Portland’s 7 wins in 9 away matches plus 9 clean sheets this season, the visitors avoiding defeat is a data-backed angle. (Odds not provided in the feed.)
• Goals Tip: Both Teams to Score – Yes. St. Louis City II’s season stats show 32 goals scored and 32 conceded across 18 matches, while Portland Timbers II have 25 scored and 25 conceded. Recent H2H meetings have been consistently high-scoring, including 6-3, 5-3, 4-1 and 2-1 results, suggesting a strong chance that both sides find the net. (Odds not provided.)
• Value Tip: Draw as an outcome. The win-probability split of 45% draw and 45% away suggests the stalemate is at least as likely as a Portland victory, yet draws are often priced more generously in MLS Next Pro. Portland’s solid defence against St. Louis’ strong home attack, plus the 1-1 pattern in the prediction, makes the draw a potential value play. (Odds not provided.)

Odds are accurate at the time of writing and subject to change. Please gamble responsibly.